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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Past GT essay - Some people say the cars should be banned from the centers of cities. Do you agree or disagree?

Someone has rightly said that – “The car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete”. The increased use of cars has created many problems. Therefore, I strongly believe that cars should not be allowed in city centres. A number of arguments surround my opinion.

The most important reason is pollution from car exhausts, which damages people's health causing respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. At the same time, traffic fumes attack the stonework of historic monuments and buildings, while the vibrations from passing vehicles damage their foundations. This, for instance, has happened to the Taj Mahal in Agra because of which private vehicles are not allowed in the vicinity of the Taj.

A second reason why I am in favour of cars being banned is in order to reduce the noise pollution from traffic, which forces people to keep their windows permanently closed and may cause psychological problems including stress and depression among people living in busy streets.

A further reason is that most cities were not designed for motor traffic. A good example of this is the old part of Ludhiana city in Punjab, which has narrow streets and few facilities for parking. As a result, traffic moves at a snail’s pace and there are frequent traffic jams. Beautiful buildings are spoilt by always having cars parked in front of them and pretty streets become unpleasant due to permanent traffic congestion and exhaust fumes.

Finally, I am sure that if cars were banned, people would find other more pleasant ways to move around cities. For example, they would walk or use bicycles as these would once more become safe and enjoyable activities within the city. This in turn would bring about a general improvement in people's health.

In conclusion, therefore, I strongly support the idea that traffic should be banned from city centres, as this would enable people to rediscover cities as pleasant and healthy places to live.